Our vision is four-fold:
- Build a community of Veterans through local events and classes in the greater Chattanooga area.
- Provide 5-day R&R stays at the retreat to Veterans with their families to relax, recuperate and reconnect.
- Provide longer-term stays for Veterans with more severe reintegration issues, to provide a more intensive support.
- Spread awareness to the greater community concerning Veteran-related issues.
For details on the steps we are taking to reach this vision, read our Strategic Plan here.
Visit our facebook page for upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and to see the progress of building the retreat!
Donations to assist with building the retreat and ongoing expenses are appreciated and can be made at the donate page.
Retreat Expansion
Our vision is for the retreat to have six fully furnished cabins, available for five-day stays for Veterans with their families. This model has the capability to reach over 300 Veteran families each year. There would be up to five RV spaces created for short-term use for Veterans who would prefer those accommodations. The map above details the first phase of retreat development.
While staying at the retreat, the Veterans and families will have numerous opportunities to experience life on a working farm, including interacting with the animals, learning about basic agricultural practices, and participating in seasonal gardening. These activities help boost self-confidence, offer Veterans a renewed sense of purpose, and promote positive family engagement. PGF has partnered with local farm, Hendon Farm, to grow food and flowers at the retreat site and offer agricultural classes to visiting Veterans and their families.
The farm will provide leisure activities such as archery, star gazing, and an area to play airsoft. Additionally, we plan to form community partnerships who will offer recreational excursions like white water rafting, hang gliding, car racing and sky diving, to give Veterans a way of experiencing the adrenaline rush they have been missing since leaving the military.
The farm will function as both a peaceful retreat and a treatment setting. There will be PTSD specific retreats on an on-demand basis.
Transitional Living
Additionally, there will be a bunkhouse available Veteran to stay with more severe reintegration issues, to provide a more intensive support.
Many Veterans living on disability struggle with reintegration and lack of purpose. According to VA.gov, in 2016 the Veteran’s Benefit administration paid over 27 billion dollars in annual benefits to more than 680,000 Veterans receiving disability compensation at the 100% rate. These Veterans have medical and psychological disabilities that warrant that level of compensation. However, there are unintended consequences created when Veterans are not allowed to work, such as: losing meaning and purpose in life, becoming increasingly depressed and often descending into substance abuse as a coping mechanism. The solution to provide needed financial support creates new problems for Veterans who have a deep need to contribute, feel like their lives matter, make an impact on the world, and maintain a sense of identity as an independent and capable human being deserving of respect.
Project Gallantly Forward will offer a limited openings for Veterans who need an extended stay at the retreat. At the farm, Veterans will have many opportunities to interact with other Veterans. They will also be provided with skills training, such as animal husbandry, gardening, agri-business, homesteading, and other capabilities that can give them a sense of purpose, boost self confidence and self-esteem.
Veteran volunteers will be utilized to assist in day-to-day operations of the program, including grounds upkeep, maintenance, and assisting other Veterans who come for retreats. They will lead hikes, oversee leisure activities and provide outreach and support to attendees. Veterans would also lead excursions with community partners who will offer recreational outlets which may include white water rafting, hang gliding, car racing and sky diving, to give Veterans a way of experiencing the adrenaline rush they have been missing since leaving the military.